Forgotten
by Sakura Bloom
Summary: Sequel to Forgiven, and won't make sense without reading the other first. Ash & Misty have been separated for so long... but is any length of time too long?
1. Forgotten

"Forgotten"

**Forgotten**  
_by Laura Kamida_  
**Rated PG**  
  


Pain... tears... The vision of the shock and anguish on her strong face was permanently etched into his memory... Every time he closed his eyes the sight made a shiver trace its way up his spine. The night, with its soft summer thunderstorm and gentle rains... the remembrance would be forever burned into his soul.  
  
_Everybody's got something they had to leave behind..._  
  
The sorrow was a cross he knew he had to bear, his punishment for the way that he had gone through those months of tribulation. He knew the reason for his departure... to keep all the people he had hurt from being hurt again by his careless ways... But he still felt remorse for all that he had done...  
  
_One regret from yesterday, that just seems to grow with time..._  
  
Sometimes he would feel a presence with him, like they were still connected in some surreal way. He would see her in himself, or something outside that would remind him of her. He could almost smell her sweet perfume or feel her slender figure in his arms.  
  
_There's no use looking back or wondering how it could be now, or might have been..._  
  
His emotions were a tempest, although it had been so long that he was sure she had moved on and forgotten about him, he couldn't help but dream about the two of them holding each other, walking down the aisle, raising a family.  
  
_Oh, this I know, but still I can't find ways to let you go..._  
  
~*~  
  
She could still remember the night sometimes... Like shadows dancing in her mind, the memories flashed in her subconscious, daring to come to the surface and haunt her again.  
  
_I never had a dream come true..._  
  
For a long time she had been an empty shell... It had seemed that a part of her was missing after he had departed from her life. She had wandered through her existence; silent and distant, waiting for the moment when the light would return to her dark world.  
  
_'Til the day that I found you..._  
  
Gradually, her heart started to let go of the pain it was harboring... It no longer flowed from her eyes as tears and no longer kept her up late at night dreaming and remembering a time that she could not recapture. It had been a time of innocence, a time of wonderful light, and sometimes... a time of hardship.  
  
_Even though I pretend that I've moved on, you'll always be my baby..._  
  
Smiles had slowly returned to her gentle features. Sometimes one would skitter across when she least expected it, but soon, she had come full circle, the signs of loss shedding like a snake's skin, as she blossomed once again into a vibrant young woman.  
  
_I never found the words to say you're the one I think about each day..._  
  
... But there was still something missing.  
  
_And I know no matter where life takes me to, a part of me will always be with you..._  
  
~*~  
  
How long had it been now... Maybe a year? Maybe shorter, maybe longer. It was hard to think about it.  
  
_Somewhere in my memory, I've lost all sense of time..._  
  
When Misty was a younger girl: sweet, seventeen, and in love with the perfect guy, she never dreamed that in such little time she'd be a 20 year old woman who was alone in the world with an undecided future. It was foolish to let an event such as the ending, and total loss of a relationship with a high school sweetheart still haunt her life even after she had lived and grown so much since then.  
  
_And tomorrow can never be, cause yesterday's all that fills my mind..._  
  
In the past, she would always catch herself dreaming of Ash Ketchum, and scold herself profusely for it, but now it seemed that every time she remembered her childish love for the dark-haired boy, she would smile to herself and remember happy times along with the horrible.  
  
_There's no use looking back or wondering how it should be now, or might have been..._  
  
She thought about seeing him again... Just to tell him that she was alright, and to see what he was doing with his life... She missed him so much sometimes...  
  
_Oh, this I know, but still I can't find ways to let you go..._  
  
~*~  
  
It had been exactly a year, nine months, and two weeks since he had picked up and left his home and departed for Saffron City, and still every day he saw a bit of Misty out in the world. Whether it was the sight of a young woman with fiery red hair, or seeing a pair of icy blue eyes glaring at him, he could never forget how he could never be complete without her beside him...  
  
_I never had a dream come true..._  
  
There was still a picture of her beside Ash's night stand... Every morning he woke up to her and every night he fell asleep dreaming of her, about the ways that she changed his life forever.  
  
_'Til the day that I found you..._  
  
As he lay in bed, his arms closed around him, only to find an empty space... He wondered if there was a chance that somewhere, she was reaching out to hold him as well... and dreaming about a day when they would be together again. His eyes would cloud with tears, and he could see her... a vision, perfect in every way, in his heart, just like always...  
  
_Even though I pretend that I've moved on, you'll always be my baby..._  
  
Why be so stubborn? Maybe it was selfish to have left her... he had told himself it was for her own good... That he had to leave for her to be happy... But she had professed her love for him and he had deserted her.  
  
_I never found the words to say, you're the one I think about each day..._  
  
She could forgive him for the heartbreak... but could she forgive him for leaving her behind?  
  
_And I know no matter where life takes me to, a part of me will always be..._  
  
~*~  
  
And so a little letter, in a little envelope, made its way into a mailbox, a hope sealed inside it, a feeling so great that it could barely be put into the passionate words that were written...  
  
_You'll always be the dream that fills my head..._  
  
And somewhere, a young woman gasped with a teary realization...  
  
_Yes you will, say you will, you know you will oh baby..._  
  
And a man prayed that he had not made one too many mistakes...  
  
_You'll always be the one I'll never forget...  
  
There's no use looking back or wondering, because love is a strange and funny thing...  
  
No matter how I try and try I just can't say goodbye...  
  
I never had a dream come true...  
  
'Til the day that I found you...  
  
Even though I pretend that I've moved on, you'll always be my baby...  
  
I never found the words to say, you're the one I think about each day...  
  
And I know no matter where life takes me to, a part of me will always be..._  
  
"With you..."  
  
~*~  
  
"So, do you think he's being for real...? I just don't know if I want to get involved with him again... I mean, you know what he's like... He's not even sure of what he wants... And I've moved on with my life... what do you think?"  
  
The red haired girl stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, putting her long, thick hair into curlers on her head, with a cordless phone propped on her shoulder as she chattered into it.  
  
"Well..." Brock said from the other side of the phone, in his apartment. Brock had moved from Pewter City to open up a Pokémon Breeding center in Saffron City some time ago, and it had become increasingly hard for the two to see each other, but they stayed in touch quite often. "I just don't know about him, Misty... I mean, I've lived her for how long? And I still haven't even seen him here. ... I'm not sure about him... What did the letter say again?"  
  
"It said that he missed me, and he realized what he did was stupid.... sounds kinda hokey to me... But then again, Ash was never good for expressing his emotions."  
  
Brock nodded silently from the other side of the line. "I will support whatever you do, Misty, but do you really think it's healthy to still be thinking about him? ... And to see him again? To bring back all those feelings? ... Unless you really want to get back into a relationship with him."  
  
"You're right, of course... but I can't help wondering... I mean, it's not like I have anyone right now... what could it hurt?"  
  
Brock hummed a small approval. "How about this... you come to Saffron... then if it falls through with Ash, you can always come visit me... Then, no matter what, it won't be a waste!"  
  
Misty grinned as she put the last of her hair into the little plastic apparatus. "Sure! That sounds fun! I'll be there this weekend!"  
  
The two hung up the line, and Misty walked on lighter feet back to her bedroom. "Daisy?" she said in surprise, seeing her older sister standing next to the desk. Her eyes were red with tears and her cheeks had two little trails running down to her chin. "Oh..." she said softly, knowing the reason why her sister was in tears.  
  
"Are you going to go?" the blonde asked shakily, gesturing to the letter. "I'm sorry," she continued, "I know it wasn't my business to read it, but I saw that it was him and I just couldn't help it, and - "  
  
"It's OK, Daiz," Misty said reassuringly. "I know..." The red-haired Waterflower winced. "I... I am going to see him, Daisy... I'm sorry..." It was the only rough point for the girls' relationship since they had gotten older.  
  
Daisy grinned, and Misty stared, wide-eyed. The older sister ran forward and threw her arms around Misty. "I'm so glad you said that!" she sobbed happily. "I was so afraid you were going to be hard-headed and turn him down... I'm so glad that you're going to get him back."  
  
Misty closed her eyes, tears accumulating in them. For once, she could not stubbornly deny what her sister said, and the two girls simply held each other and cried together.  
  
~*~  
  
As she shifted her Jeep into a higher gear, Misty could feel the wind whipping around her, and she smiled to herself. Feeling so free, and so full of anticipation, she could almost imaging his arms holding her again, a feeling that she had cherished and missed. Though the two had a strange past, they has just clicked, and the passion and love between them was undeniable. Now it was finally going to be reignited...  
  
A week before, Misty would have never guessed that she would be speeding toward her former flame, and actually praying for their reunion, but something inside her hoped that it would all would work out like the fairy tale ending that she had prayed for so hard that night, as the rain poured down over her like tears from Heaven.  
  
The tall buildings of Saffron City sharply contrasted the quaint homes of the cities she had grown accustomed to over the years: Cerulean, Viridian, and Pallet. She saw countless apartment buildings, but checking the letter one more time, she saw the number and screeched to a halt in front of the building.  
  
Stepping out of her car, she felt a tremor go up her body, and she had to steady herself against the vehicle before she could continue. "My God..." she whispered. "It's really going to happen..."  
  
~*~  
  
The doorbell startled Ash, and he jumped up to go to the door. His heart thumped in his chest. Who could it be? It couldn't be her... she never answered, she didn't care about the letter... I was too late... wasn't I?  
  
He pulled open the door, and gasped in surprise. It really was her, standing before him, her eyes stained with tears, her hands clasped in front of her until the knuckles were white. She was biting her lip, and looking up at him silently. "Misty..." he said incredulously. "I - "  
  
He was cut off as the final defenses of the young woman's heart broke down. She took a step forward and put her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. He inhaled sharply, then let himself go, holding her tightly and letting all of his emotions flow freely between the two as they stood, embracing in the doorway.  
  
Finally they released, breathing heavily as they looked in each other's eyes, each searching the other for emotions and reactions. "Hello," Misty finally said weakly. Ash could only nod in response, slowly leaning forward and kissing the moisture from her tears off of her cheeks. She crinkled her nose to keep from bursting in tears again, and her gentle grace despite her inner turmoil brought Ash to tears himself. "Don't cry," he said softly, with the hint of a chuckle in his voice. Misty bit her lip. "Come in..."  
  
She walked with her head held high, suddenly shedding any hint of insecurity or weakness that had been shown before. She looked around the apartment curiously, and when he gestured for her to sit down, she took a seat on the couch that was sitting in the main room.  
  
As he brought out drinks for the two of them, he sat down beside her, studying her every move with intrigue, his eyes soaking up every minute detail of her.  
  
"I guess there's a lot for us to say, isn't there?" he asked.  
  
"You could say that," she said, trying to be aloof.  
  
Ash scowled. "You can just stop with that right now, Misty. You can't pretend you don't care. I saw your face, I felt your arms around me, and you didn't even have to show up here in the first place. So you just be yourself, huh? You're much better than that."  
  
Misty stuck her lip out in defeat, but still keeping her silence.  
  
"I love you..." he said softly.  
  
"Then why did you leave!?" she cried without a pause.  
  
He looked down ashamedly. "I had hurt you and Daisy too many times... You two had never done anything wrong and I just ruined everything... I didn't want to stay and take the chance that I might hurt you again," he explained, trying to justify himself.  
  
"You know, Ash..." she said softly, with a tone of absolute seriousness in her voice. "It doesn't take being with someone to hurt them."  
  
Startled, his eyes immediately met hers, and he could see the tears in them. Her lip trembled, and he hugged her, holding her tightly against him, rocking her slowly to calm her down. "You've changed..." she said softly.  
  
He couldn't answer... How do you answer to something like that?   
  
"I've changed, too," she continued.  
  
Ash hummed a note in response.  
  
_I would like to visit you for a while, get away, and out of this city...  
Maybe I shouldn't have called but someone had to be the first to break...  
We can go sit on your back porch, relax, talk about anything, it doesn't matter..._  
  
"Maybe we've changed too much..." she whispered tearily. I'm sorry... she thought desperately.  
  
_I'll be courageous if you can pretend that you've forgiven me,  
  
I'm sorry..._ she thought desperately.  
  
_Cause I don't know you anymore,  
I don't recognize this place,  
The picture frames have changed and so has your name,  
We don't talk much anymore,  
We keep running from the pain..._  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ash said, running a hand through her hair.  
  
_But what I wouldn't give to see your face again..._  
  
"Yes it does..." Misty said. "I haven't seen you in so long..."  
  
"One year, nine months, three weeks..."  
  
"I have to go..."  
  
"No... stay...."  
  
"I can't... I have to think about this, alone, for a while."  
  
"Misty!" Ash cried as she pushed him away, stood up, and started to walk. He followed her to the door, where she turned around to look at him. "Don't go," he said. "Come on, Misty... I can see it in your eyes... I can feel it within both of us... We still have something... what we have is bigger than change, bigger than time..."  
  
"I'll be in touch," she said with finality, leaving him behind.  
  
He watched her walk away, slowly sliding down into a sitting position in his doorway. He rested his face in his hands, wondering what he could have possibly done wrong this time... it had seemed so sure, so positive, that they would finally be together like fate had intended. "God..." he whispered. "I can't just let her go that easily..."  
  
~*~  
  
"I don't get it," Brock said, lifting an eyebrow. "If you wanted to get back together, why did you leave?"  
  
"He's not himself anymore... He's changed so much... He's lost something in him, his ambition or his vitality or something... I just can't put my finger on it, but something has drastically changed about him. And it scared me." Misty sat on the couch, curling her legs up under her and holding a coffee cup tightly.  
  
"Did you ever stop to think that you were his ambition or his vitality?"  
  
Misty sat, gaping. However, she was unable to answer because there was a knock at the door. She jumped in her seat, then looked expectantly to Brock. He stood up and walked to the other room, where she could hear the door creaking. There was quiet talking, but she could not hear the words, save for a few little snippets of speech. Suddenly the voices started to rise, and she could differentiate between Brock's voice and that of Ash.  
  
"She doesn't want to see you right now... Can't you give it a rest?"  
  
"I need her..."  
  
"Just a little more time..."  
  
"There's no time to dwell in the past!"  
  
"Maybe you should have thought of that before you left her, eh?"  
  
"Why don't you just stay the hell out of it, eh? Not like it's any of your business, except for the fact that you think if I don't get her back that she'll fall in love with you."  
  
There was the hollow sound of a fist connecting with a jaw and Misty cringed to hear the unceremonious sound of Ash's body crumpling to the ground. She put the coffee down hastily and ran to the doorway to stand by Brock. Ash stared at the pair with a soft hatred and betrayal in his eyes. Misty looked back at him, her own eyes brightened with tears.  
  
_Cause I don't know you anymore...  
I don't recognize this place,  
The picture frames have changed and so has your name,  
We don't talk much anymore,  
We keep running from these sentences...  
But what I wouldn't give to see your face again..._  
  
"I'm sorry..." she whispered. But Ash could only stare.  
  
"I thought you came back because... - "  
  
_Maybe I shouldn't have called, was it too soon to tell?  
Oh what the hell, it doesn't really matter...  
How do you redefine something that never really had a name...?  
Has your opinion changed...?_  
  
~*~  
  
"Did you ever stop to think that you were his ambition or his vitality...?"  
  
_Cause I don't know you anymore..._  
  
"It doesn't take being with someone to hurt them..."  
  
_I don't recognize this place..._  
  
"What we have is bigger than change, bigger than time..."  
  
_The picture frames have changed and so has your name..._  
  
"I guess there's a lot for us to say, isn't there...?"  
  
_We don't talk much anymore..._  
  
"There's no time to dwell in the past..."  
  
_We keep running from the pain..._  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
_But what I wouldn't give just to see your face again...  
I see your face...  
I see your face..._  
  
~*~  
  
There was the soft rapping on the door, and Ash stumbled toward it dimly, vaguely aware that it was so late at night and he was being awakened. He scratched his bare chest with a yawn and pulled the door open.  
  
He blinked when he saw Misty standing there. "I've been thinking about it a lot, Ash... and... I was wrong... You were right..."  
  
"It's not too often that happens, is it?" he said with a sigh.  
  
Misty smiled weakly. "I don't care anymore, Ash... I just have to be with you."  
  
_Know all about your reputation,  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation,  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless every time that I'm where you are,  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door,  
Say my name and I can't fight anymore,  
Oh I know I should go,  
But I need your touch just too damn much...  
Loving you...  
Isn't really something I should do...  
Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you...  
I should try to be strong,  
But baby you're the right kinda wrong..._  
  
Ash grinned, and scooped her up in his arms, twirling her around happily as her arms clasped around his back.  
  
_Might be a mistake, a mistake I'm making,  
But what you're giving me I'm happy to be taking,  
Cause no one's ever made me feel the way I feel when I'm in your arms,  
They say you're something I should do without,  
They don't know what goes on when the lights go out,  
There's no way to explain...  
The pleasure is worth all the pain..._  
  
Misty placed a passionate kiss on Ash's lips, her whole soul craving to be near him, almost as if he were a dangerous drug she was hopelessly addicted to.  
  
"I love you..." she whispered.  
  
"I love you too..." he replied breathily.  
  
"Never leave me again..." she demanded in a hushed tone.  
  
"Never..." he echoed.  
  
_Baby you're the right kinda wrong...  
Baby you're the right kinda wrong..._


	2. Author Note

-- This is just a quick notice to let everyone who already read the fic "Forgotten" by me that whatever was put in chapter 2 was not written nor uploaded by me... I have no clue whatsoever how it got there, but I deleted it. The only problem with that is that all reviews associated with it were also deleted.  
  
Ja! - Pikababy 


End file.
